A Lot of Living to Do
by mysticmelodies1
Summary: A Douglas/Evelyn fic. The story continues...
1. Chapter 1

She took the lollipop out of her mouth with a faint 'pop', taking her eyes off the project in front of her just briefly so she could look at her Nana.

"Why did daddy have to take mummy to the doctor?"

"They're just checking on the baby," Evelyn explained. "They have to make sure that everything's alright and that it's still happy."

"So she has to go get it early?"

Evelyn frowned. "Sorry?"

"From the doctor."

Evelyn was puzzled for a few seconds before realization dawned on her. She looked down at the little girl who was colouring a picture of a stegosaurus. She chuckled softly to herself before walking over to Emily with her usual afternoon cuppa.

"Well… no. Not exactly. She already has the baby."

Emily's little nose scrunched up into a frown as the tilted her head in confusion.

She looked up at Evelyn. "She does? Where? I didn't see it."

Evelyn sat down beside her. "It's in her tummy. The doctor has to go in and get it."

The little girl shook her head. "Nu uh. Stork brings it."

Evelyn chuckled. "Does he? And who told you that?"

"Daddy," she smiled.

Evelyn bit her lip, trying her best not to giggle.

She thought about her words very carefully. She didn't want to contradict whatever Kenneth had told her, but she hated to lie flat out.

"Well… erm… the stork tucks the baby away so it's all nice and safe in the mother's tummy, and then the doctors go and get it."

Emily giggled and shook her head. "He does not, Nana. He takes the baby to hospital and drops it in a pram."

She folded her arms very matter-of-factly as if daring Evelyn to contradict her.

Evelyn couldn't help the tiny giggle that escaped her this time.

"So you're telling me that the mummy doesn't have the baby with her at all?"

The young girl nodded.

Evelyn mirrored her folded arms and sat back on the couch, turning her body in to face Emily a little more. She was suddenly anxious to hear what else her grandchild had been told.

"Alright. Well why does the mummy get such a big tummy?"

"She eats a lot," the girl shrugged as if the answer was obvious.

"So you're telling me that the stork takes the baby to hospital, drops it in a pram, and the mummy goes and gets it?" Emily nodded. "And she gets so big because she eats a lot."

"That's it," she smiled.

"Alright, then why doesn't the stork just bring the baby to the mummy instead of having her drive all that way to go get it?"

Evelyn bit back a laugh at her exasperated huff.

"Nana…" she rolled her eyes. "There's _tons_ of babies! If he took a baby to all the mummies who want one his wings would get too tired, so he just drops them all in one place."

She snorted. "Where does the stork get all the babies from, then?"

"Heaven."

Evelyn ran a hand over her face. This little one had certainly thought of everything.

"Alright. How does he keep track of which baby goes to which mummy? If he gets them all from the same place and he takes them all to the same place, why don't they all get mixed up?"

"The little hats. They've got numbers on so the nurses can sort them. Then the doctor wraps it in a blanket and the mummy goes to get it."

Evelyn turned her eyes up toward the ceiling and shook her head, laughing quietly to herself.

"Thank you for clearing that up for me."

Emily nodded just once, before turning her attention back to the colouring page in front of her.

Evelyn heard the front door open and turned to see Douglas walking through to the kitchen.

"My favorite girls," he smiled and bent down to kiss Evelyn before giving Emily a quick peck on the top of her head. "What have I missed, hmm?"

"Emily was just explaining where babies come from. Apparently, I've got it all wrong," she smiled.

Douglas giggled. "Oh? Well, she is very bright. All her teachers say so. I'm sure she knows what she's talking about." He smirked and tickled the back of her neck, making her squeal with laughter. "Don't you, Em?"

"Granddad! No fair!" she giggled and dropped her coloured pencil to try and block Douglas's hands.

Evelyn got up from her place at the table and Emily quickly scrambled out of her chair, determined not to be left behind.

"Are you sure you want to come with me? Wouldn't you have more fun here with granddad?"

Douglas chuckled as she whipped a lolly out of her mouth, sticking her chin out defiantly. She certainly inherited her grandmother's stubborn streak.

"Nana, I'm six. I want to help."

Evelyn smiled. "Alright, then. Since you are such a big girl now."

Emily beamed. She popped the sweet back into her mouth and skipped off to find the little powder blue purse that Evelyn had given her for her birthday. Evelyn had to chuckle at her little blonde pigtails bouncing behind her as she made her way down the hallway and into her room, which she was very proud of.

She had gotten rid of her old child-like bed and convinced Laura to get her a larger one. Not as large as the one in Laura's room of course, but large enough that Emily was satisfied with her new "big girl bed". The new and improved furnishing was a small sleigh bed. She'd chosen it herself when Laura took her to the shops. The past Christmas, she'd drawn little reindeer on coloured paper and taped them to the footboard, quite close to where her stocking dangled from the end.

'_Father Christmas has to deliver all the presents and there's three of us, plus you and granddad. The reindeer get lonely waiting so long._'

Emily skipped back down the hall, purse in hand.

"Ready, Nana?"

"Ready," she smiled. "Do you know what you'd like to buy?"

"Umm… blankets," she smiled. "Green blankets. So he won't get cold."

Douglas smiled. "But we don't know it's a 'he' yet, do we? What if it happens to be a girl?"

Emily shrugged and took Evelyn's hand, pulling her down the hallway toward the door.

"We can get lots of colors so when it gets here it can pick."

Evelyn laughed. "Well, I guess that's sorted then." She waved to Douglas as Emily dragged her out the door. She called back over her shoulder, "If Laura and Kenneth get home before we do, just tell them I've gone to visit Penelope and I took Emily with me."

The little girl tugged on her hand again. "Nana! Come on! They'll buy all the blankets before we get there!"

Douglas giggled from the hall, waving to his wife one last time before closing the door and making his way back through to the kitchen.

He was actually rather surprised that Emily hadn't given anything away yet. She was a very clever little girl, but sometimes, in all the excitement, her mouth ran away with her.

They were all certain she'd have problems with their being a new baby in the family, but she seemed taken with the idea of being a big sister. Douglas suspected that Emily was tired of being the smallest in the family. She probably hoped that if Laura had a new baby, it would make everyone start treating her like a big girl. She was six, after all (as she'd pointed out almost every day since her birthday).

The only hitch was that Emily got all her cleverness from her mother, and he was sure Laura suspected something by now. She didn't let on that she knew anything, but Douglas knew better than to trust that. Evelyn was quite the same way. It was difficult to surprise her. She was just as good at finding out about them as she was at keeping them. She always told him she wouldn't go snooping, but inevitably her curiosity would get the better of her.

Luckily, Laura had the baby and all the preparations for the birth to divert her attention, so between herself and Douglas, they could always find something to hold her focus while they got another little bit done for the party.

He called and double checked the cake, which was to be delivered later that afternoon, then hurried upstairs to finish wrapping the presents he'd tucked away in their bedroom. He wanted everything to be just right. Deep down, he knew Laura would love it no matter what, but he couldn't help wanting to spoil her. She was his only daughter. He wanted everything to be as perfect as possible for his little girl.

For all his girls.

He smiled to himself as he thought about the surprise he had brewing for Evelyn's birthday, which was rapidly approaching. They'd all been so distracted by the preparations for the new baby, he doubted she even realized how close they were to the date. He looked over at the opposite of the bed and ran his hand over her pillow.

She'd run herself ragged these past few months, trying to be sure that Laura was properly taken care of, but she'd taken very little time to be sure that she was taking care of herself. She refused to let Douglas spoil her. There was always something to get for the baby or Laura. Always somewhere she needed to take Emily. And while Douglas absolutely loved how devoted she was to his… no, _their_ family, he didn't want her to exhaust herself. He decided that her birthday would be all about her, with no interruptions, no babies, no big girl six year olds. Nothing but peace and quiet.

He sighed, looking down at the crème coloured wrapping paper. There were little yellow ducks printed on and they all wore tiny nappies on their tails.

"First thing's first," he muttered to himself, tearing another piece of tape. He made a crease with his fingernail and folded the paper over, taping it the last bit down securely. He inspected the box, adding a small bow to the top before placing the gift on the pile with the others.


	2. Chapter 2

Evelyn fumbled through the darkened room and practically collapsed onto the bed, not even taking the time to remove her shoes before burying her face in the pillow to sleep. It had been a long plane journey and she'd been so looking forward to crawling into her own bed.

Douglas chuckled. "Still drained from the zoo?"

"That and the plane," she murmured. "I don't think I've ever had jet lag this badly in the past."

"You also didn't have two grandchildren to look after back then." He took off his jacket and flung it across the chair by the bedroom door.

"All I can say is thank goodness mine are well past that age." She rubbed the back of her neck. "They're adorable little creatures, but they really take it out of you."

Douglas chuckled as he switched on the bedside lamp. "And we only had them for half a day."

"I do love them though," she smiled fondly. "And Emily's handling all of it really well, I think."

"Yes. She is. Though I think she just enjoys not being the smallest for a change," he smirked. "I don't know that she's fully grasped the concept of what being a big sister means."

"Yes she has." Evelyn rolled over to face him, watching as he toed off his shoes to climb into bed with her. "I'm sure when the time comes, she'll be very protective of her little sister. You can see it already. She watched Laura like a hawk when she came to give Jenna her bath. Didn't you notice?"

"Oh, yes," he tilted his head thoughtfully. "I was wondering why she was following her so closely."

Evelyn smiled at him. He reclined against the pillows, getting himself settled before pulling her to snuggle up to him. She closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest. "She wants to be sure nothing happens to her sister. I think it's sweet."

Douglas snorted. "We'll see how sweet you find it when they start arguing over toys."

Evelyn chuckled softly. "Yes. I think we should enjoy the peaceful period while it's still with us."

She nuzzled into him and he gave a faint sigh.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You never sigh that way over nothing. What's wrong?" She poked his side, making him giggle.

"It's silly."

She opened her eyes, turning her face up to look at him. "I bet it isn't. Tell me."

"It was great fun coming back to visit and everything with the baby has been lovely. Jenna's so small and cute, and Emily dotes on her and it's all very precious but…"

"But?"

He sighed again. "Well, to be honest… I'm a bit jealous."

Evelyn frowned. "Of what?"

"Their family… their happiness… the children." He looked straight ahead at the door, trying not to meet her eyes. "I can't help wondering what it would be like to have a family with you. I know we have Kenneth, and Laura, and Emily, and now Jenna… but… I can't help wanting children of our own. Children that are yours and mine... and grandchildren."

Evelyn smirked. "Not to take the wind out of your sails, darling, but we're about thirty years too late to start on that particular project."

Douglas chuckled, the movement of his chest shaking her gently. "I know, I know. But I do wonder about it sometimes. What it would have been like if I'd met you sooner... if I'd started a family with _you_ all those years ago."

She hummed her acknowledgement. "Tell me?"

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm intrigued now," she giggled.

He smiled. "Alright. First, I'd want us to have a large house in the countryside. And a dog."

She laughed. "Why a dog?"

"I've just always pictured us with a dog. A red setter."

She giggled. "Fair enough. Go on."

And I'd want our baby to have your eyes… and your laugh… and the little thing with your ears-"

She quickly sat up to look at him properly "_The little thing with my ears_? What '_little thing_'? Since when do I have a 'thing' with my ears?"

He laughed. "You don't know?"

"No," she sat up fully and covered her ears with her hands.

He chuckled, gently pulling her hands down. He kissed her palms. "Relax. It's nothing really. It's just when you blush… the tips of your ears go red. It's quite cute."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

He shrugged. "I thought you knew about it."

She began to blush then, but he thought it best not to point it out.

"No, I didn't."

"Well, I think it's beautiful."

He smiled and pulled her back down to cuddle on his chest.

"So, this baby… boy or girl?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think I would have cared either way, so long as it was ours. I would have wanted it to be just like you." He nuzzled into her hair. "We would have been so happy."

"Perhaps," she smiled. "We can never know how it would have worked out. I'd like to think we would have been just fine. But I, for one, am very happy with the life we have now and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."

He smiled. "Neither would I."

There was silence for a moment before Evelyn spoke up again.

"Did you really imagine all that?"

"Almost every day," he admitted quietly. "But I am happy with what we have now."

"And the bit about the baby… only one?"

"Sometimes I'd imagine us with two. A little boy and a little girl. They both had your eyes. Bright blue. But they were blonde like me."

She tilted her head up and kissed him, smiling against his lips. The kiss grew deeper, the jet lag quickly fading and desire taking it's place.

He smiled. "Not sleepy anymore, I see."

"Not really, no." She draped a leg over his thigh, moving her leg to tease him.

"And just what do you think you're doing down there, Mrs. Ainslie?"

She smirked, walking her fingers up his chest and gently undoing his top button. She felt his breath hitch and moved to nibble on his ear.

"What does it feel like?" she whispered.

He groaned. "You're a tease."

"You love me for it."

He pulled her back to his mouth for a fiery kiss, letting her feel just how much he loved her.

She chuckled in that low, throaty way of hers that always made his knees quiver. Then, she pulled him on top of her and wrapped her arms around his neck, curling a finger in his hair.

"What do you say we try for those little ones?"

He raised an eyebrow. "We won't actually accomplish anything, as you pointed out earlier."

"Yes…" she ran a finger over his lips and shrugged. "Doesn't mean we can't still have fun trying though, does it?"

She bit her lip, blushing beautifully as he laughed.

"Are you sure you're up to it… _Nana_?" he smirked.

She chuckled and narrowed her eyes at him. "You'll pay for that…" She reached down between them and squeezed his erection, not enough to hurt, but enough to hold his attention.

He groaned and blindly felt for the switch to the bedside lamp, switching it off before wrapping his arms around his gorgeous wife.

They undressed slowly, the darkness of the room making them more sensitive to the gentle caresses of fingers against soft flesh as they carefully removed various articles of clothing. Their desire for each other had not diminished by the years, or the grandchildren they now shared. They decided not to rush and took full advantage of the opportunity to really enjoy being with each other as it was the first time in a month that they'd had any real time to be alone. The evening was filled with tender kisses and caresses, until they finally had to relent to sleep.

He nestled his body behind hers, his fading hardness pressing into the small of her back.

She snuggled back against him until she was comfortable and he kissed the top of her head as he always did before they slept.

"So… shall we try again in the morning?" he whispered.

She chuckled softly. "Of course."

She took his hand from her hip to wrap his arm around her waist properly. Then, placing her hand atop his, she laced their fingers together, whispering one final 'I love you' before sleep claimed the both of them.


End file.
